open access and libraries

Open Access and Survivable Libraries
by: Crawford, Walt

Source:
Crawford, Walt. Open Access and Survivable Libraries. EContent, Jun2005, 28(6), Retrieved August 7, 2009 from Ebsco http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s8h&AN=17216697&site=ehost-live&scope=site


Abstract:

The article mention several overlapping ideas about open access. One of the overlapping ideas mention was that scientific researches should be made available to all those who would benefit from it. The article also illustrate that open access could also threaten several businesses that earn from selling copies of already published article.

What I have learned?
1. I have learned that nowadays scientific, technical and medical journals cost a lot.
2. I have learned that research authors don't necessarily earn from publishing a research paper but rather they earn by being able to communicate to a wide range of readers.
3. I have learned that open access have a lot of advantages, for me the most important is that it allows researcher from small research institution or by themselves to access the latest scholarly literature.

Implication:

I am currently working in a library that can readily avail of paid subscription to journals. The issue of open access may not be a question. But having an open access journal integrated to its collection of subscribed journals is a plus. The use of subscribed journals is limited within the walls of the campus. Unless you are given the username and the password for the subscription then you cannot use it outside the campus. The beauty of open access is that you are not bounded by walls in order to access the journals. Open access can supliment the subscribed journals so that when the library user does not know the username and the password for a subscription then they have other means available for them to do their research.